Garden Tips & Resources

Hydroponics is the growth of plants without using soil and the name means. The grower provides the plants with all of the nutrients they would usually get from the soil though water instead. Hydroponics can be scaled down and used by a home gardener as well as on a larger production scale. Growing hydroponic lettuce is a good place to start if you are new to hydroponics. Novice farmers will find that plants are forgiving and easy to work with.

You will need to prepare for starting your hydroponics garden two weeks in advance of actually planting the lettuce. First of all, gather all the equipment you will need. Get a 5-gallon container and lid to use. Using a dark plastic container works the best as it helps prevent algae from growing. If you can only find a clear plastic container, cover it with a dark plastic film or aluminum foil. You will also need a growing medium. Root cubes, such as Oasis root cubes, work well for lettuce. Root cubes are a growth medium that is pre-formed and easy to handle. They should be designed for propagation and ahve a neutral ph. Lettuce seedlings will also be needed of course. The seedlings need to be placed in the growth cube two weeks in advance of planting and then put in a dish of water.

While your seedlings are in water, you can prepare the lid of your container for planting. On the lids trace the outlines of plastic planting cones. You can get on a 5-gallon lid four to six evenly spaced, but be careful not to get them too close to the edge of the lid. After tracing circles with the plastic planting cones cut them out and insert them into the holes.

Now you can create your water nutrient solution. This is the most crucial step in hydroponic growing; remember you must supply via water all the nutrients plants would normally get through the soil. You can find many pre-mixed hydroponics solutions out there to use as the base for your solution. For a 5-gallon drum, take 2 teaspoons of the pre-mixed hydroponic fertilizer (8-15-36 works well), 2 teaspoons of calcium nitrate, and 1 teaspoon of Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate). In a cup of water dissolve each of these ingredients one at a time and then add the water to the drum. Once you have added your nutrients, fill the drum to near the top with water.

After your seedlings have been sitting in water for two weeks, they are ready to add to the planters. First all secure the lid on the drum with duct tape. Then, place the seedlings, inside the root cubes, into the plastic planting cones, which should already by in the holes you made in your drum lid. Equal amounts of direct and indirect sunlight works best as hydroponic lettuce needs plenty of sunlight.

You will need to keep an eye on the plants for any insects or worms. If you do see insects, you should remove them by hand. Pesticides are not recommended for growth projects on such a small scale as this even though they are used in hydroponic gardening. Be sure the plants are taking water by keeping an eye on the water level in the drum and you also want to be sure it doesn’t get too low.

Within 4 to 5 weeks, you should have fully grown lettuce plants, ready to pick. It is simple to pick just remove the leaves. Though some kinds of hydroponic growth mediums can be recycled, root cubes should not be used more than once.

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